


A Walk in The Ocean

by james



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Done With Their Shit!Rhodey, M/M, Pirate!Bucky, merman!Tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:48:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29778462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/james/pseuds/james
Summary: Bucky goes overboard and is lost at sea.  A hallucination rescues him.  Or possibly it's real.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Comments: 28
Kudos: 147
Collections: WI Reverse Bang 2020





	A Walk in The Ocean

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the Winteriron Reverse Bang! I chose art by the delightful Sagana.
> 
> You can see the art standalone [here!](https://saganarojanaolt.tumblr.com/post/644427659650252800/winteriron-reverse-bang-sea-au%22)

Bucky was hallucinating, which made perfect sense, really. He'd been adrift at sea since his ship had gone down. Good riddance to her, anyway, Bucky thought, sneering at the sky. The pirate ship _Hydra_ had been the absolute worst, and if Bucky hadn't been press-ganged into service he'd had been first in line to go after those assholes and send them plummeting to the bottom of the ocean.

His previous ship, Captained by his best friend Steve Rogers, hadn't even properly been a pirate ship. They'd mostly gone after slavers and rich traders who were known to cheat the locals. More than one missing young person had been brought back home by _The Shield_ and the folks around these parts called them their heroes.

 _These parts,_ Bucky thought, sighing to himself. He hadn't seen the land he'd called home in a very long time. The _Hydra_ assholes had grabbed him months ago and sailed what felt like halfway around the globe where they'd proven themselves exactly the sort of people _The Shield_ loved to fight against. Cruel to the crew and anyone they came across, the _Hydra's_ Captain and First Mate kept a tight-run ship by keeping everyone else too weak, injured, and hungry to fight back well. Not to mention any weapons to be had were locked up in the Captain's bunk.

Anyone who tried to whisper mutiny was swiftly keelhauled – and even if there were no whispers, if Captain Pierce thought he needed to set an example, over the side you went. Bucky had been lucky, he'd never suffered more than lashes or quarter rations.

None of which mattered now. They'd been attacked by the Italian Navy and soon enough put down. The _Hydra_ had been taken and sunk, and Bucky had found himself bowled overboard during the fighting (possibly he'd jumped, just a little, but it wasn't like he'd intended to be lost at sea, goddamnit.)

Between currents and winds and two planks of wood Bucky had managed to grab onto and tie together with his belt, he didn't have any idea where he was in relation to where the battle had happened or, more importantly, where any land might be. Once night fell he might be able to reckon his location, but it wasn't like it would do any good with no way to propel himself.

Then, a little while ago, he'd started hallucinating. Because a big red and gold fish swam up to him, and a man's head and torso popped out of the water like something out of his little sister's fable books. All of it was just like a magnificent dream and made Bucky think that if he were going to die of exposure at least his brain liked him enough to make it pleasant.

The big weird fish man thing was currently pulling Bucky and his log-raft through the water, and based on the feel of the wind in his face, Bucky thought they were making pretty good time. To where, and why, he had no idea. The fish man's head was underwater so it wasn't like Bucky could ask him.

Besides, did he want to _prove_ he was hallucinating by talking to imaginary creatures?

Instead he sung a bit, mostly to pass the time, but couldn't really keep it up without getting a face-full of seawater. So he sung to himself, silently, tapping his fingers against the log and watching the horizon and sky not change in the slightest. He was hungry and thirsty, but not so far gone he was in danger of drinking the salt water.

He wouldn't mind dying at sea, not really, but he thought he'd like it to go a little faster, because just floating around was boring. At least he could watch the flickering, shimmering motion of the imaginary red and gold fish that was pulling him somewhere.

Bucky thought about being worried, but it wasn't like he had any other options.

~ ~ ~

When a small dark dot on the horizon started getting bigger, Bucky wondered if he maybe wasn't losing his mind. For real, this time, not just brought on by a head injury or exposure. Surely if he were dreaming, he'd be getting taken to a large underwater castle, or a city made of gold and rum and pretty faces to greet him and cover him in jewels. The dark dot on the horizon looked a lot more like a tiny island in the middle of nowhere than any paradise.

Better than staying in the ocean waiting to get eaten by a shark, but as far as hallucinations went, Bucky was feeling a little disappointed. He'd wait until they got to shore and ask his imaginary rescuer if these were really the best accommodations he could offer.

The island kept getting bigger, and closer, then all of a sudden Bucky's feet hit sand. He nearly toppled, hanging onto the logs was the only thing that kept him upright. He tried to stand and found to his astonishment that his boots found purchase. The logs were still being pulled forward, then the fish man thing stopped, and a moment later his head and torso popped out of the water again.

Bucky blinked at him. The fish man thing tilted his head at Bucky and stared at him for a moment like he thought Bucky was a moron or had hit his head or something. Well, Bucky had been floating out at sea all day, what did the guy expect? Then Bucky realised his _feet_ were on _sand_ and he was probably meant to walk to shore to complete his rescue.

“Oh, right. Tally Ho.” He stumbled a bit, trying to pry the fingers of his one hand off the log, then stopped and realised the hook of his other hand was firmly wedged into the log. He pried it free, then stumbled again as the waves nudged him and tried to walk to shore.

“No offense,” he said as he walked, while the fish man kept pace with him in the water. “But I wouldn't have minded civilisation. Something with a village, people – a tavern.” 

There was a snort from beside him. “And how would I explain myself in front of a village full of humans?”

Bucky nearly fell into the water. “Oh, shit, you can talk.”

The fish man blinked at him like he still thought maybe Bucky was a moron. Or – well, maybe Bucky _had_ hit his head? Because how else was he supposed to explain the imaginary creature he was talking to?

“I'm better with French, and the local creoles,” the fish man said, shrugging with one smooth shoulder, looking an awful lot like a regular human person out for a swim. 

“The local – there's people?” Bucky caught himself, his mother's voice echoing in his head. _Don't be rude, James._ “There's human people nearby?”

The man fish started to nod, then frowned. “Not nearby. Near – this island is close to a route they use. Someone will find you in a few days.” He gestured at the island. “There's no spring here, but there's plenty of...noix de coco?” He made a round shape with his hands, then paused and looked at Bucky's wooden arm. He frowned.

“Nah, it's fine,” Bucky said, holding the hook up. “If I can manage a ship's rigging I think a tree won't be any bother.” Then he bit his lip, because here he was calmly discussing survival techniques with a figment of his imagination. He took a deep breath and told himself to stop fussing.

The fish man wasn't looking convinced. “I might... I would swim down to a village where I know a couple of humans, but it will be long for me to get back. Ten days,” he said, doubtfully. 

Tell ya what,” Bucky said, still striding towards the shore, only stopping when he realised the fish man had stopped due to shallow water. “Why don't you stick around a bit and we'll see if I can get a couple coconuts. If I can, you can keep me company until rescue comes by. If no one shows up you can go find your friends.”

He didn't think about what would happen if he couldn't get the coconuts. He wouldn't manage nearly two weeks alone if he couldn't feed himself and find clear water to drink. But if that were the case he wouldn't manage a few days, either.

The fish man was still frowning, though, then he snapped his fingers. “Attends ici!” Then he wriggled backwards and disappeared into the water.

Bucky watched him go. He stood there a moment to see if the man fish was coming right back, then shook his head and started heading to shore. No point in continuing to soak his feet. When he got to dry sand, he looked around and figured he might as well explore just a bit.

He walked inland only a handful of minutes, and he could just about see the other side of the island. The island wasn't the smallest he'd ever seen, but it wasn't Bucky's idea of an island to retire to. Like the fish man said, it wasn't big enough for a spring or pool of water. There were plenty of coconuts, though, and no sign of coconut _crabs_ which Bucky was grateful for. There were some birds and plenty of insects, which meant Bucky wouldn't starve if he was clever enough to catch something. 

When he got back around to his starting point, there was no sign of the fish man. He turned his attention to one of the closer palm trees and figured he might as well give it a try. He had a couple of his knives on him, neither big enough to cleave a coconut in half, but with all the rocks around, he could probably crack one if he could get it down. All he had to do was get up the tree, kind of one-handed, without falling and cracking his head open.

Piece of cake.

Probably.

~ ~ ~

Two days later, Tony was staring at him, again looking at Bucky like he wasn't sure just how smart humans were supposed to be.

Bucky scowled at him. “It fucking works, doesn't it?” He had drained his most recent coconut of its milk and was digging the flesh out with his smaller knife. Beside him on the rock was a fish. Tony had brought it to him, insisting that Bucky didn't have to survive on coconuts alone. 

He'd finally figured out a way to help himself climb the tree by using his pants as a rope, wrapped around the tree and his waist, to shimmy up the trunk. Tony had critiqued his efforts even as he'd watched Bucky successfully cut down half a dozen coconuts so he wouldn't have to climb up again for a couple days.

His pants were not going to survive the experience as _pants,_ but it was only him and a fish man here, so what did it matter if he sunbathed in the nude. 

Tony – because he'd asked and his imaginary friend told him his name – just kept scowling. “It's not that,” he said. “I'm impressed with your ingéniosité. I'm just... is that _normal?_ ” He pointed at Bucky's crotch.

Frantically, Bucky looked down and was relieved to see nothing amiss. He wasn't even sure what Tony was on about, unless he'd just never seen human genitals before. Bucky figured he'd probably think Tony's junk was weird looking, too – then he told himself to _stop thinking about it._ Just because Tony had a nice face and chest and arms and smile, didn't mean _anything._

Even if he was nice, as well as nice-looking.

That first day, Tony the fish man had come back with what looked like salvage from a shipwreck, and had argued and scowled at Bucky until he'd built a weird pit in the sand, following very precise but bizarre instructions. Finally, he had a pit in the sand with sticks and things all over it, that Tony insisted would create water. Bucky had indulged him, because why not, then by the following morning there was a pool of water, condensed like Tony said. Clear, not salt, water, and Bucky had drunk half of it right then and there, laid out on his stomach in the sand.

Tony had also started bringing him fish, claiming a lack of confidence in Bucky's ability to feed himself. Bucky had spent a good twenty minutes trying to build a fire to roast them on. He'd finally managed, and cooked himself some dinner, carrying it back over to the flat rocks there were apparently near a drop-off in the water. It was the same spot they were sitting at now, eating more fish and coconut. The water was deep enough Tony could swim right up and rest his elbows on the rock and, apparently, stare at Bucky's manhood.

“They're fine,” he said, not bothering to cover himself. Some things you unlearned, being on a ship, and if people were bothered by people being naked, they tended not to stay on board. 

Tony was frowning and moving his head back and forth, like he was trying to get a better look. “Humans...just have them dangling like that?” he finally asked.

“Yeah. All monkeys do, I'm told.” Bucky remembered the big fuss in the papers a few years back. Some English explorer had gotten lost in some forest someplace in Africa, and come back with all kinds of tales about monkeys, huge ones, that had taken him in. He'd lived with them, so the guy said, and he swore he'd been able to communicate with them.

Like everyone, Bucky thought the guy was a lunatic – but here he was, chatting with a half-fish man named Tony.

 _Merman,_ Tony had said with a sneer, the first time Bucky had said 'fish man' out loud. Bucky had just reminded him that Bucky was the one having hallucinations and he could call Tony whatever he liked.

Tony had vanished into the water, then, and hadn't come back for a couple hours. By the time he reappeared Bucky was sorry he'd said it and promised not to do it again. Being stranded sucked, it really did, but it was a lot nicer with company, even company as strange (and possibly imaginary) as Tony the merman.

It helped, of course, that the top half of Tony was hot as fuck. Bucky would have flirted with him without hesitation if he'd been human, newly aboard _The Shield_ or working the docks at some port. Might even have ended up inviting him to share Bucky's bunk on the regular, partnering up like a lot of guys did at sea.

He kept telling himself to stop thinking about it, but it was difficult, given the way Tony was staring at his dick like that. Bucky found himself thinking about Tony, and a private bunk, and the things they could do and, yeah, there it went.

Tony's eyes went huge. “What's it doing? Bucky, are you-- why's it getting bigger?” Tony reached out towards him and Bucky shoved himself backwards, raising his knee to block Tony's hand. 

“It's nothing, don't worry about it,” he babbled. 

“Are you getting ready to impregnate something?” Tony asked, and he sounded like he was just asking, all innocent and not-human like. Before Bucky could answer him, though, he caught the gleam in Tony's eye.

The _asshole._

Bucky threw a chunk of coconut shell at his head. “You know perfectly well what the fuck it's doing, you little shit.”

Tony laughed, and holy fucking hell, that was such a pretty sound. Bucky was glad he was insane, maybe even still floating in the ocean. Maybe he'd already died and this was his afterlife. Tony leaned up, propping himself up on his elbows. “Is that for me, matelot?” he asked in a tone that told Bucky he had definitely done this before.

“You are such an asshole,” Bucky told him. “Why couldn't I have hallucinated Stevie rescuing me.” He paused. “Stevie's kind of an asshole, too, though.”

“Have I mentioned that I'm not a hallucination?” Tony asked, still leaning forward, holding himself up out of the water.

“Yeah, that's just what a hallucination would say. Hey, are you gonna dry out like that?” He peered over the edge of the rock to see how much of Tony's fish tail was out of the water.

“I can manage this much for a few minutes,” Tony said. “I can breathe oxygen, I just can't let my scales dry out.” Tony held himself, his arm muscles bulging in ways that Bucky wanted to stare at, and maybe lick. “But not for – hell.” He fell backwards with a splash, into the water. He went down below, then bobbed back up. He looked up at Bucky, a heated look in his eyes.

“If I keep my head above water, I think I can--” Bucky looked around the cove and saw a spot where the rocks came down some, where he could hang onto without much trouble. He pulled his wooden hand off, because he wasn't about to lose it to the bottom of the sea, then said, “Watch out!”

And he jumped into the water.

He came up and found Tony barely a foot away, eyes wide in surprise. _What the hell,_ Bucky told himself, and surged forward in the water, and kissed him.

“I was _hoping_ this was what you were thinking of,” Tony said, and he got one arm around Bucky's waist, turning them so Bucky could grab onto the rocks he'd spotted. Tony made sure he was secure, no danger of drowning, then said, “You know, I don't need to breathe oxygen.”

And he disappeared under the water, and a second later Bucky felt a mouth on his dick.

 _Holy Fucking God,_ Bucky thought to himself. _If this is an hallucination, my brain fucking loves me._

~ ~ ~

Not surprisingly at all, the next two days they had a _lot_ of sex. He discovered that mermen did have dicks, just tucked away all neat and tidy behind some scales. Not nearly as large as Bucky, but he'd refrained from teasing Tony about it – mostly. Bucky was pretty sure he was getting the better end of the deal, since Tony could stay under water for as long as he wanted, and they hadn't found a comfortable spot on the entire island where Bucky could get Tony out of the water enough that Bucky could avoid choking on the ocean and Tony would remain in enough water to stay safe. They had a great deal of fun trying with fingers and mouths and one very disastrous attempt at going at each other at the same time. 

Trying whatever they could think of was killing plenty of time, though, and Tony had taken to staying near the shore just a few yards away from where Bucky had made his camp, such as it was. He had a larger fire there, dug into a pit to use as a signal. It was, almost, a rather nice little getaway. If only Bucky had some clue when rescue would arrive, he might have even enjoyed it.

On morning Tony swam out as usual then came back almost immediately, excited, saying there was a boat not too far away.

Quickly, Bucky built up his fire, tossing branches and palm fronds on to stoke the flames, and, belatedly, grabbed what remained of his pants and got them on. None of the holes were too unseemly, just in case his rescuers gave a shit.

As soon as he was ready, he turned to Tony – and saw that he was gone.

Well, sure. Tony hadn't wanted to be seen by other humans, after all. Bucky looked out onto the water, searching for some sign Tony was maybe just a ways away, watching, but there was no sign of him anywhere.

Like maybe he'd been a hallucination after all.

Then Bucky saw the boat, and he started yelling and waving his arms.

~ ~ ~

It took him a year. A year of being rescued by that boat of local fishermen, getting back to their village where he got a ride on a trader's wagon to the nearest real port. There he'd taken a short hop on a pirate ship whose first mate he knew. They weren't able to do much more than feed him and give him a hat to protect his head from the sun, but they took him to a larger port where he'd finally been able to trade in some of his stash. 

_Hydra_ had stolen everything off him when they'd taken him, even ripping the earrings out of his ears. He'd been left with nothing but the “promise” that he could work to earn his keep, but he'd known that they'd never pay him a single coin. Ships like the _Hydra_ worked their stolen crew to death and Bucky hadn't had much hope before the Italian Navy had accidentally freed him.

But Pierce and his cronies had never thought to check his hand. Made of wood with a simple iron hook, it looked like the cheapest piece of shit ever. The hook worked well enough, but the real value was behind a tiny door that rested hidden against the stump of Bucky's arm. The shaft of the arm was hollowed out, where jewels and coins and gold nuggets were safely wrapped in cotton inside, so they wouldn't rattle and give the secret away.

He traded a couple of jewels for coins, looking as pitiful and haggard as he could, to get a better rate than what the shyster wanted to give him. Then he used those coins to buy decent clothes and a pair of boots, and buy himself passage back home.

Six months after his rescue, he saw Steve again. Bucky was waiting at the docks, after word had come in that _The Shield_ was returning home. The reunion had been emotional, to say the least, with Stevie crying and Nat punching him in his good arm, Sam punching him in his other arm, and Clint bowling them all nearly off the edge of the dock into the water.

They'd stayed in port for a good month, to let folks visit friends and family, and Bucky had wanted, many times, to tell Steve about Tony. The only reason he couldn't make himself do it was that every single day, Bucky wondered just a little more if maybe he'd imagined the whole thing. All the years he'd sailed the sea and he'd never once heard stories of merfolk living underwater. Sirens, sure, and every charted kraken was well-known to every sailor. But merfolk were something that only lived in fairy tales, as far as Bucky had ever known.

Then one day Steve said they were ready to sail again and asked Bucky if he was coming along, his smile and easy tone making it obvious Steve thought he'd say yes. And part of Bucky wanted to, wanted to go back to the way things had been and leave _Hydra_ and Tony all behind him. But mostly, he had to _know._ Because he hadn't been able to stop thinking about Tony.

Not just all the sex, but the way he laughed; the way he grinned and made bad jokes; the way he'd begged Bucky for stories about human cities then accused Bucky of making shit up when he'd tried to describe a steam engine. 

Bucky couldn't stop thinking about the two people Tony had called friends, two humans who knew the truth.

So he told himself he would go and track them down. If he couldn't find them, he could always just come back home again. Set sail on _The Shield_ and take his place at Steve's side once more. If he found them but couldn't find Tony – or if Tony didn't want to be found -- well, same. He'd always have this to come back to.

But maybe he'd find Tony. Maybe Tony would want him to stay.

Bucky had no idea what he intended to do if Tony did, but he could remember so clearly the way Tony had looked at him as he'd told him there was a boat coming. Caught up with the urgency, Bucky hadn't really registered it at the time, but looking back, he knew what he'd seen. Tony, watching him scramble towards the firepit, with a solemn expression on his face.

Like he knew he'd never see Bucky again.

Like he didn't want that any more than Bucky did.

So, a year later, Bucky was standing at the door of someone he'd been told bore the name he'd heard Tony mention. It might be coincidence and thus a cold trail, but Bucky would find out soon enough.

He knocked on the door of a small hut, and waited.

A moment later he heard shuffling of feet, and the door swung open. A dark-skinned man looked at him; he glanced down at Bucky's wooden arm and his face froze.

“I'm looking for someone,” Bucky said.

The man just stood there for a moment, clearly giving Bucky the once-over, despite how he didn't glance away from where he was meeting Bucky's gaze. His posture was stiff and foreboding, like if Bucky had tried to get past him into the hut, he was going to have a fight on his hands.

Well, hand.

Finally, the man asked, “Someone got a name?” He wasn't giving anything away, except for how he'd already given away everything. He'd recognised Bucky, the quick glance towards Bucky's arm – no surprise, just confirmation. Bucky felt his heart start racing.

“Looking for a man named Jim Rhodes.” Bucky swallowed. “But really I'm looking for Tony.”

“Are you,” the man said, folding his arms. Bucky wanted to tell him that if he wanted to deny knowing Tony, he shouldn't be acting so annoyed. “Why would I know anybody named Tony?”

Bucky just shrugged. He knew, from the way Tony had talked about him, that Jim Rhodes was one of his best friends, better, even, than most of the other mer. 

Not that he and Tony had _talked_ all that much. 

It was actually kind of nice to see how protective Rhodes was being. After all, Bucky had known Tony for a handful of days, and now here he was – what _was_ he doing, anyway? Giving up his life and future to live at the edge of the sea, waiting for a visit from a merman?

Bucky sighed. Crap, Steve had been right, Bucky had lost every marble he'd ever owned and then some. Not that he'd told Steve everything; he'd barely told his friend much at all, only that he'd grown tired of being on the ocean and felt the need to retire. That much was true, anyway. 

_Hydra_ hadn't had him long, but having his feet on the deck of a ship made him itch like mad, fearful every time the sight of land slipped away from the horizon. He hadn't had to fake wanting to get away from it, but he'd been cagey about why he'd chosen this particular place to settle. 

He looked Rhodes in the eye. “I don't know. I'm not even sure why I'm here, if I should even be – look, if Tony doesn't want to see me, wants me to stay away from him, that's... fine, I guess. I can go further north and he can just avoid coming up. But I thought...” Bucky shrugged. “I just wanted to see him again. If he wants. That's all.”

Rhodes was still watching him, a faint scowl on his face. It was clear he wasn't going to be deterred, so Bucky just nodded. 

“If you see him, let him know. Or...not, I guess.” He turned, not sure where he should go. There'd been a small tavern in the neighboring village. He could probably get a room there, figure out his plans. He knew that Tony might not come to the surface very often, that it could be months before even Rhodes saw him to pass along a message. Maybe he just needed to settle someplace and be patient.

“You're both morons,” Rhodes said, before Bucky got two steps down the path.

Bucky froze, then looked back over his shoulder.

“If you fucking hurt him – if ships show up hunting for them, I swear by all that is Holy, I will hunt you down and kill you myself.” Rhodes pointed his fist at Bucky, and he shivered, not doubting the man's words at all. Then Rhodes sighed. “Come on, then. I've had to listen to him moping about your 'pretty eyes' and 'flowing hair' for fucking months, it's driving me crazy.”

Bucky scurried back up towards Rhodes' front door. “He thinks I'm pretty?” he heard himself say, and he should probably have felt some embarrassment about that, except – was Tony _here?_

Rhodes rolled his eyes. “Lord, give me strength,” he muttered. “Well, come on,” he said, not bothering to wave Bucky to follow. He led him through the main room and kitchen, and out a back door that faced the ocean. Bucky could see a well-worn path to a small pier leading out onto the water. There were no boats tied, but Rhodes walked down it to the end, where he sat and let his feet fall into the water. He shot Bucky an annoyed look and pointed at the spot beside him.

Bucky hurried over, but before he could sit down, a brown-haired head popped out of the water. Tony grabbed onto Rhodes' leg, and Bucky could see him smiling, opening his mouth to say something – then he caught sight of Bucky.

Bucky stopped where he was, even as he watched Tony's face burst into a smile as wide as sunshine. 

“Are you really here?” Tony called out, pulling himself out of the water by climbing up Rhodes, who grumbled and complained but didn't push him back.

“Yeah,” Bucky said, then had to clear his throat. “Yeah, I'm really here.” He carefully sat down next to Rhodes, and felt something like immense relief as Tony grabbed onto him and kissed him.

They stayed that way for awhile, even when Rhodes excused himself, not so gently shoving Tony's hand off his leg and onto Bucky's. Bucky didn't mind, because Tony was hanging onto him like maybe he thought he wasn't ever going to see Bucky again.

Bucky gave him a smile, to apologise. “Sorry I wasn't sooner,” he said, when Tony had to let himself slip back into the water. Bucky thought about just jumping in, but he had on his good boots and he didn't – well then, Tony was looking at him _like that_ so he just scrambled out of his boots, and then Tony was helping him get out of the rest of it, then Bucky pushed himself off the pier and into the water.

“Not in my fucking backyard!” came a shout from Rhodes, but Bucky and Tony ignored him.

“He can't see anything anyway,” Tony said, grinning, as his hands found Bucky's waist, one palm flat on his ass and the other sneaking around to his front.

“Anthony, I mean it!” There was a slamming of a door, and Bucky wondered if he really did mean it, but Tony wasn't stopping, so Bucky did what he really wanted to do, and kissed Tony again.

~ ~ ~

There was a small house about fifteen minutes' walk from Jim's place. It had been abandoned for a few years since the previous owner vanished at sea. Some folks claimed that made it a bad risk – ominous spirits and the like. Bucky figured he'd had his fair share of bad luck at sea, so he'd moved in. Anyhow, Jim said the woman who'd lived there had just grown old and wanted her final rest to be in the ocean that she'd loved, and left no family or kin to claim her old home. 

The house needed some work, and Bucky definitely needed to build or order in some furniture. But it was in just the right spot, right at the edge of the water, and the best part was how the front porch was right next to a rocky area where the water pooled deep.

It would be easy to add steps so he could sit in the water with Tony. The water was deep enough that Bucky would only have to build out a short ways, and the trees on either side of the house would give them privacy. He could sit comfortably and Tony could stay beside him, tail safely in the water.

Bucky sent a letter to Steve, telling him where he was – a promise he'd had to make before Steve would let him go. He'd told Tony all about Steve and _The Shield,_ agreeing that there was no need to tell Steve about the merfolk right away. 

Tony would stay hidden in the water when Steve visited, at least for now. Bucky knew Steve would probably be glad to keep his secret once they told him, but as much as Bucky's friends liked him and would never intend to betray him, Bucky knew he couldn't ask Tony to risk his entire people by letting anything slip.

Once Steve had a chance to meet Jim, it would make Tony feel more comfortable revealing himself if someone he trusted gave the okay. So Bucky had sent his letter, inviting him to visit.

It wasn't long before Steve and the rest of them descended on Bucky's new home, bringing with them tools and supplies and crates that turned out to be full of dishware and bedding and all the makings of a home. Clint and Sam and Nat and Steve all helped him fix up his new place, repairing the roof and making sure the walls would withstand the summer storms. 

Tony stayed hidden in the ocean. Sometimes Bucky thought he could see something, off in the distance. 

The crew even helped him build part of the porch, as much as Bucky could ask for without sounding like he'd lost his mind. They built it out far enough, Bucky only had to add a couple steps. He made sure to talk about someday getting a small sailboat, and needing a spot to tie her up. By the time it was all done, they left without being any the wiser.

Steve did promise to return every year to visit, and Bucky was honestly looking forward to it. He hoped it wouldn't be long before he'd be able to introduce Steve and Tony. Rhodes had been by often enough during the renovation and had given a very tentative initial approval. 

Then came the day Bucky thanked them for all their help and watched them go, then that night he slept in his new bed, listening to the ocean waves.

Three days later Tony came back to find Bucky finishing up the last of the steps. The last one was only half the width of the rest, so Tony could nestle up right beside Bucky. With a grin, Tony helped him test it out, and both of them declared it a great success.

~ ~ ~

Time passed, and not much changed. Bucky lived in his home by the ocean, visiting with Rhodes who brought him bread from the nearby village and any mail that happened to come in. Bucky gave him the fish Tony brought for them, and shells, and sometimes the three of them sat and talked, telling stories from their childhoods, or Bucky would regale them both with his adventures as a somewhat pirate.

One time Pepper came to visit, a scary woman from the township several miles inland. She ran a trading business, funded in the beginning with shipwreck salvage from Tony. He still brought her things sometimes, if they had value or if they just looked interesting. Rhodes was something like a front man – Pepper's excuse for how she found things was the local fisherman who lived by the ocean. If pressed, Rhodes could even dive down a way and come back with trinkets Tony would be holding for him. No one had reason to look for a species of merfolk living right under their noses, as long as they were careful and didn't suddenly find a chest of gold and jewels no one had much reason to care.

When Pepper left – giving Bucky her blessing – Tony admitted he _had_ several chests of gold and jewels and didn't know what to do with them. A lot of mer liked to play with them, using them as decoration, he said, and letting their children play with the weird human stuff.

Bucky knew as much as anybody how much pain and suffering came from having too much of that sort of wealth, and told Tony they could leave it at the bottom of the sea.

One day he discovered that Tony didn't just find stuff and bring it to the surface – he apparently made things as well. Bucky was sitting on the upper pier, not really expecting Tony to come by this early, but unable for some reason to head back to the house.

Tony's head popped up and he broke into a grin at seeing Bucky, and swam over. There was something in his hands, wrapped in wet cloth. Bucky waited patiently as Tony drew near, coming down to the lower steps to greet him.

“Come on, come on, get that hideous thing off I'm done!” Tony said, tugging at the wood arm that was fastened to Bucky's stump as soon as Bucky came within reach.

“What the fuck?” Bucky was so surprised he simply sat there and let Tony remove the straps, tugging at one of them when Tony couldn't get it off fast enough. He hadn't really been shy about his stump around Tony, wearing his fake hand mostly because doing things one-handed was annoying, and the hook made for a good way to ensure Bucky didn't slip off the pier and into the ocean when Tony got him sufficiently distracted.

But Tony was frowning at it now like it had personally offended him. When they got it off, Tony pull his hand back to throw it into the water. “Wait!” Bucky reached out for it. “I need that, asshole.”

Tony blinked at him and held up the cloth-wrapped thing in his hand. “But I have this for you.”

Bucky frowned at him. Tony did this sometimes, forget he hadn't said stuff out loud and couldn't figure out why Bucky didn't know what he was talking about. Now, Tony ducked his head back a bit, then smiled sheepishly. “I made this for you.”

He held it out, and Bucky took it, carefully. It was a long shaft – it felt a lot like.... Oh. The cloth fell away, and in his hands was a shiny new arm. The shaft was metal and it gleamed red, and there were designs etched into it. Some of them looked a bit like the scales on Tony's tail.

The hook was made from several more joints than his old one, and it looked – not _exactly_ like fingers.

It looked amazing.

“How do I get it on?” Bucky fumbled with the straps one-handed and Tony reached out to help. Tony showed him how they went, and the straps and buckles were easy once Bucky saw the trick of them. Easier than the old one, once he had it on. It took a moment to get the thing settled into a comfortable position, then Bucky stared in wonder at it.

It was beautiful.

“Come on, try it. I'm pretty sure the hand works but I couldn't fully test it.” Tony reached out and placed his fingers on the hook itself. “I was going to give you crab pinchers, but I thought you might not wear it.” Tony grinned.

“You thought right,” Bucky agreed. He stared at the arm for a moment, then flexed the muscles in his upper forearm, right above the stump.

The hook twitched.

“Yes!” Tony pumped one hand in the air. “I'll probably need to make adjustments, but this should let you have some actual movement. No more slamming your pirate hook into things,” he added, winking.

“I thought you liked my pirate hook,” Bucky said, still staring at the arm. He tried again to flex his muscles and he could see how it was meant to work. Not like fingers, not really, but Tony had made something, inside the shaft of the arm, that responded to the muscles in his arm.

“I like your pirate leer, and your pirate tan,” Tony said, giving his own leer at Bucky's crotch.

“Because I'm tan all over,” Bucky said, absent-mindedly. He tried to move the hook again. “Hey! I think.. Tony, this is amazing!”

“I know!” Tony said, smugly. “I'm brilliant, what can I say. I can—mmph!” was all he said, as Bucky reeled him in and kissed him.

~ ~ ~

They settled into a good, steady rhythm. Tony would be gone during the day, while Bucky read his books or re-drew and copied maps to send off to Steve. Near evening, Tony would appear with freshly caught dinner and Bucky would cook his up while Tony waited for him – impatiently, most times, at the end of the pier.

Then they'd sit together, enjoying dinner, and afterwards they'd talk, or cuddle, and more often than not Bucky would eventually slip into the water or Tony would pull himself out as far as he could and they'd have sex. When it grew late that neither could keep his eyes open, Tony would slip back down into the water. 

Sometimes Bucky fell asleep on the pier. He'd wake in the morning and watch the sky grow lighter, and sometimes Tony would appear. Sometimes he wouldn't show until dinner. Bucky would wait for a bit until he went in to make himself coffee and breakfast, then idle away his day until it was evening again.

Right now they were cuddled together on Bucky's step, his feet tangled against Tony's tail, their fingers twined together. It had been almost a full year, and Bucky still was amazed that _here he was._

He turned and kissed Tony's cheek.

“What was that for?” Tony asked. He'd been in the middle of describing a creature he knew from the deeper parts of the ocean. Bucky figured he was making shit up again, because what he was describing sounded like a nightmare. Nothing should have teeth that long, or glow in the fucking dark.

“Nothing,” Bucky said. “Love you.”

Tony squeezed his hand and kissed him back. When he pulled away, he looked at Bucky, and his eyes looked sad.

“What's wrong?” Bucky asked.

Tony shrugged, but gestured with their hands still together, towards Bucky's feet. His tail. “It'd be nice, to, you know. Be together. Not have to live in the ocean while you're up here on land.”

Bucky pressed his nose into Tony's hair. It smelled of salt and sea, and something faint that Bucky thought must just be Tony. Oil and musk, thin and faint, echoed in the taste of him when Bucky got his mouth on him.

“Yeah,” he said, after a moment. Wishing wouldn't make it so, and Bucky didn't bother saying how he'd considered just throwing out his bed and its nice sheets and quilts, because of how often he fell asleep outside on the wooden pier. 

Whenever Tony found him out there, he'd scold Bucky for not sleeping someplace more comfortable. _What if you rolled over and drowned,_ Tony had teased him, more than once. 

He looked in his lover's eyes, watching them shine with the reflection of the water. “Maybe next time,” he said, remembering the old stories his Nana used to tell. “In our next lives,” he continued. “We could be together.” He paused, then asked one of the questions he'd sort of dreaded asking, once it had occurred to him. “You're not going to outlive me by a hundred years though, are you?”

Tony had told him how sharks and whales could live for hundreds of years, and Bucky had wondered, but hadn't been brave enough to ask until now.

But Tony shook his head. “I'll live about the same as you. Unless you roll off the pier at night and drown yourself.” He winked. Then he tilted his head, considering Bucky's earlier question. “Would you want to be human, again? Or you could be a mer?”

Bucky shrugged. “Don't think it matters, not really. I don't know that I'd want to be human again,” he added, after a moment's reflection. “It's a lot of work. A lot of crap to deal with.”

“It's not much better as a mer,” Tony said. “The amount of shit I put up with for having--” He cut himself off, but Bucky knew.

Tony's relatives, and others, thought Tony was all kinds of wrong, for taking up with a human. Rhodes had explained once how bad it had been when Tony and Rhodes became friends. Tony wasn't the first mer to make friends with a human, but that didn't mean much to Tony's family, it seemed. But Tony was stubborn and had no need to listen to what the other mer had to say about it. It had gotten worse since he'd taken up with Bucky, he knew.

Tony didn't spend much time with mer at all, now; Bucky had a feeling he'd either been exiled or left his people on his own. He certainly never talked much about them, though Bucky knew that could just be habit to protect them from discovery.

“So, not human or mer,” Bucky said, in a bright tone to distract them both. “Land, sea, air?” he asked.

“I like water,” Tony said. “But there's not many species down there who mate for life.” He stopped, then, and bit his lip.

Bucky grinned and gave him a kiss. He had no intention of going anywhere. His life was quiet and calm and that was enough for him as long as he had Tony. “So any ideas?” 

He watched as Tony thought it over, and the way his lover chewed on his lower lip made Bucky want to distract him by doing a little of his own chewing and nibbling. He waited, though, because Tony was taking the question seriously.

Finally Tony nodded. “Otters. Sometimes they mate for life.”

Bucky blinked. “Otters?”

“Otters. Well, or penguins I guess, but have you seen penguins? I think I'd rather be an otter.” Tony wrinkled his nose and Bucky gave in and kissed it.

Bucky tugged Tony closer – as close as they could get, with his legs dangling and Tony's tail pressed against him. “Otters it is, then. We'll find each other next time, and stay together forever.”

He swallowed, not even thinking if he dared wish for it. But it was nice to dream.

That night when Tony slipped away into the ocean, Bucky stood up and went inside. He crawled into his bed and pulled the quilts up, and lay there, looking out of the window. The trees obscured most of the sky, but he could see a patch of it.

As the sky darkened, he waited. When the first star appeared, he made a wish.

The end


End file.
